Everyone wants the benefits of makeup without the maintenance, but sometimes, you really do have to clean your brushes.

By Intent

Everyone talks about spring-cleaning their house and kitchen, but no one talks about spring-cleaning the stuff that we use for our faces and bodies: powder puffs, makeup brushes, eyelash curlers, and other self-care tools that come in contact with our faces, near our eyes, and all over our bodies.

When you keep your beauty tools sparkling clean, you are also keeping your face and the rest of your body extra-clean. Think about it: you’re sparing yourself from constant exposure to accumulated dirt, bacteria, oil, chemicals, and other nasty stuff that builds up on your utensils.

So when was the last time you took the time to give your makeup tools a good spring-cleaning? Don’t really remember? Didn’t even know that you were supposed to clean them on a regular basis in the first place? Just as we thought.

1. Clean your powder compact powder puff. You know the stuff you use to powder your face? It has probably accumulated months’ worth of skin bacteria, sweat, old powder, facial oil—not the prettiest picture. Run your powder puff under lukewarm water, rub it gently with baby shampoo, and lay it out somewhere where it can air-dry.

2. Clean your makeup brushes. Your makeup brushes for your face and eyes can also harbor a lot of dirt and bacteria if not cleaned regularly. Run the bristles of your brushes under warm running water and lather them with shampoo. The water running from your brushes will be tinted with old makeup; keep running them through until the water turns clear. Place them somewhere to air-dry. If you want to keep your makeup brushes extremely clean, like a professional makeup artist does, you can buy specialized makeup brush–cleaning solutions at a beauty-supply store near you.

3. Clean your tweezers. It is especially important to keep your tweezers sanitized, as these are tools that get very close to your eyes. Before you pluck your eyebrows, sanitize the tips of your tweezers with alcohol or peroxide, and rinse them under water so there is no chance of the chemicals’ getting into your eyes. After you pluck your eyebrows, sanitize the tips of your tweezers again with alcohol or peroxide to keep them clean. Be sure to replace your tweezers if they are getting dull or rusty.

4. Clean your hairbrush. Your hairbrush quickly accumulates hair, hair products, scalp oil, dirt, and who knows what else. First, remove as many tangles of hair from the bristles as you can. Then slide a wide-toothed comb over a trash can to take out more hair from the bristles. After that, fill your sink with warm water with a few drops of shampoo. Swish your hairbrush in the water for a few minutes to loosen out the extra-stubborn hair and dirt. Give your brush a final rinse and air-dry it, bristles down, over the edge of your sink or bathtub.

5. Clean your eyelash curler. You know, the thing that regularly gets close to the surface of your eyes? Better keep those clampers clean, too. Apply a few drops of eye makeup remover to the padding and metal clamp, and wipe excess makeup residue with tissue. Rinse thoroughly with warm water, and apply a little bit of liquid hand soap to padding and clamp to lather the area. Then rinse it all out with warm water until the metal clamp and padding are completely clean. Dry it off with a very clean hand towel or washcloth, and you’re all done! Be sure to repeat at least a few times a month.

6. Clean your bath loofah. Fill a clean basin or your bathroom sink with hot water, hydrogen peroxide, and a little bit of white vinegar. Let your loofah soak for an hour, and then squeeze dry after shaking off excess water. After you do that, blow-dry it with a hair dryer set on cold until the loofah is dry.

7. Clean your toothbrush. Your toothbrush, by the way, should be replaced every three to four months. While you’re using it, you can run it through the dishwasher from time to time—and be sure to do so in the top rack so the excess heat doesn’t melt or warp the plastic. You can also swish your toothbrush in a mixture of one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and one cup of water immediately before brushing your teeth.

8. Clean your razor. If you are like most ladies, you are probably regularly shaving your armpits, legs, and bikini area. It is important to keep your razor blades clean, to keep them sharp for a safe, clean, and effective shave.